Marshall

(S02E03) Sex was the topic of the day in and around the 'United States of Tara,' with nearly everyone questioning, experimenting, wondering and musing about the subject. Gay, straight, bi and variations on a theme. There was something about dogs in a bathtub that's still beyond me. But for the real skinny on how Tara's getting on, follow me after the jump and join the free skate.

Hot off the presses (DVDs are pressed right?), the first season of How I Met Your Mother is out on DVD today. Without getting into specifics, I got lucky and ended up with a copy last week. So I've had all weekend to play around with it. The simple answer is that this is a great DVD set... for all HIMYM fans. Anyone else that picks this up probably isn't going to get as excited about the special features as I did.

That being said, the special features are scant. There's not many, but what you do get is worth it. Once you get over the fact that it's only presented in full frame (Joel and I were both angry about the lack of widescreen), there's plenty to watch. I especially enjoyed the commentaries on the pilot episode and "Drumroll, Please" because Pamela Fryman sat in on those sessions. It's a rare occurrence when one person helms the directorial duties for an entire 22-episode run, but Fryman did it and created a constant visual style throughout the entire season. So her thoughts held some weight in those commentaries.

(S02E08) You mean to tell me that Atlantic City has a lot of old people crowding the slot machines and is full of garbage on the beach? Who knew?

Actually, AC, while not the "Shangri-La" that Las Vegas is, isn't as horrific as TV writers would lead you to believe. But it was a good backdrop for tonight's rare one-story episode.

So...Marshall and Lilly are back together. Like I said last week, it would have been nice for them to explore them trying to co-exist as friends in the group for a little while longer, but the deed is done. Now, they're starting to talk about marriage again; Marshall even makes Lilly get down on a knee and propose all formal-like. But instead of getting up in front of Marshall's family, who still might be a little miffed at Lilly for leaving him, they decide to elope in Atantic City.

(S05E16/S05E17) TV finales can be so tricky. You want to please longtime fans, you want to bring some closure, but you still have to tell a good story. Some finales are great (Newhart, The Fugitive, Cheers), while others are downright horrible (Seinfeld, The X-Files). I'm happy to report that this episode ranked in the former category. Was it perfect? No, not at all. But it certainly tired up all loose ends and provided a very entertaining last two hours. What else could you ask for?

(S01E22) Life's short, guys. You only get one chance; don't have any regrets. As per the spoilers, in this last episode, we got both the surprise hookup, and the twist no one saw coming. Both were heartbreakingly perfect. Between this and the absolute perfection that was The Office's finale, this is the season for love ... or mistakes and heartbreak; it all depends on how you look at it. As finale's go, I haven't been this excited to see next season since I saw Ross get off the plane with Julie. What's going to happen next year? Will anything ever be the same? Wait, what happened last night? On with the show!

(S01E21) One episode left and Lily had me worried there for a while. After her reservations the past couple of weeks, and her desperate plea for Ted to come and rescue her, I thought one of two things were going to happen. She was either going to make a move on Ted, or she really was going to make a break for it and run away. Lily's justification for being freaked out probably doesn't sit well with those of you that haven't been around friends or family right before they get married. Needless to say, it's probably not half as crazy as some of the things people have done when they've had cold feet. On with the show!

(S01E20) Just two
episodes left for this season and things are flip flopping faster than you can say ... uh ... flip flopping. By the end
of the episode, Ted and Robin were back on speaking terms, Barney was, well, Barney is ageless, and Lily was starting to
have some reservations about her upcoming nuptials. When Marshall and Lily had the opportunity to have their wedding at
their dream location, they had to make some sacrifices, time being the most prevalent one, and move their wedding up to
two months from now. Needless to say, Lily was a little freaked out. Finding a band was at the top of her to do list,
and the only place the band Marshall liked was playing was at a local high school's prom. Looks like we're going to
prom. On with the show!

Alias-Media has a bunch of Aliasnews today. Not only is there a
rumor that a special box set of all five seasons of the show will go on sale around Christmas (with lots of extras),
but there is also news that next month, ABC.com will be auctioning off clothing and props from the show.

Sure, some might go for Syd's wigs or clothing, but I want one of the Rambaldi artifacts! Or, if I can't have one of
those, maybe one of Marshall's gadgets.

(S05E12) I really like the fact that ABC
actually told J.J. Abrams that the show was not going to be renewed earlier instead of later. It really does, as Abrams
has said, give the show a chance to end things correctly, to bring old characters back, and explain what all this
Rambaldi/Prophet 5 plot is all about. How good was it to see Will tonight? I also like the fact that even if you don't
know what's going on with the mythology, this was a pretty entertaining standalone spy mission as well, and you could
enjoy it as a casual viewer.

But Will, when people come knocking on your door and just say, yeah, I'm with
the CIA, here's a quick look at my badge, just don't invite them in for coffee and danish.

The ratings for the return episode of Alias last
Wednesday were actually up 20% from the previous episode back in December. But it still wasn't enough to make an impact
that night, as American Idol, The Amazing Race, Unanimous and Bones did better. The
first hour tied for 9th on the night, while the second hour was 8th.

I told you I was going to hate Robin; how dare she make a move
on Ted when he's so vulnerable! That harpy! What I meant to say was, good episode. Not great, but good. Once again
How I Met Your Mother demonstrated why it is the perfect sitcom for the generation it's characters hail from,
Marshall had to make some tough decisions about what he wanted to do with his life, who he wanted to be and why. Not
only did they show cover both sides of the coin, but it also did so with its normal flair of humor, respect and
understanding. On with the show!

Just how hard is it to plan the perfect wedding? I wouldn't know, I've never actually made it that far, but
over the past couple of years, as more and more of my friends have gotten married, and as I watch my little sister go
through the steps leading up to hers this fall, I do agree with Marshall: you never cross the bride! Doing so can
topple the delicate house of cards that is a wedding to begin with. Unfortunately, that's exactly what our lovelorn
hero Ted did last night, all for the attention of a girl. Come on guys, we would never do anything stupid just for a
girl, right? Right? On with the show!

Ok, you
guys have begged for it, you've yearned for it; the next "Convince Me To Watch It". This week, I'm asking you
guys to stick up for Joey on NBC. I was addicted to Friends, and watched most of the first season of
Joey. Yet, as much as it tried, for me, Joey never captured the spirit and comradery Friends
had. This year, that feeling has been replaced by How I Met Your Mother. For me, that's the show I want
to watch to feel part of the dysfunctional family that we all yearn for. I know Joey still has quite the cult
following, and this season they've made a couple of changes to the formula to draw in some new viewers, but I want to
hear from you guys; am I missing anything by not watching this? If Joey Tribbiani floats your boat, let me know, but if
you think this show should go down like the Titanic, I want to know as well.

"People often think a good mix should rise and fall, but
people are wrong. It should be all rise baby" -Barney.

For me, this show has been nothing but
"rise" as well. This episode was another great episode in an absolutely fantastic season. I say this week in
and week out, but this show really strikes a chord with me, and last night's episode made me feel like maybe I'm not
the only one who always seems to be "looking" for something/someone on New Year's Eve. I'm not sure if mine
will turn out quite like Ted's, but I'll be sure to let you know, since I'm sure you all care so much. On with the
show!